The present invention comprises a new and distinct verbena plant, botanically known as Verbena hybrida, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name xe2x80x98Balazlavixe2x80x99.
The new cultivar was developed by the inventor through a controlled breeding program during 1998 at Arroyo Grande, Calif. The objective of the breeding program was the development of verbena cultivars with semi-trailing mounded habit, continuous flowering, excellent basal branching and small, dark green foliage.
The female (seed) parent of xe2x80x98Balazlavixe2x80x99 was the commercially available seed verbena cultivar xe2x80x98Quartz Bluexe2x80x99 (unpatented) which exhibits an upright growth habit, dark purple flowers with white xe2x80x9ceyexe2x80x9d and medium green foliage. The male (pollen) parent of xe2x80x98Balazlavixe2x80x99 was the commercially available verbena cultivar xe2x80x98Temari Violetxe2x80x99 (unpatented), which exhibits a trailing growth habit, dark lavender flowers and medium green foliage.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal stem cuttings in Arroyo Grande, Calif. and West Chicago, Ill. has demonstrated that the characteristics of the new cultivar as herein described are firmly fixed and retained through successive generations of such asexual propagation.
It was found that the cultivar of the present invention:
(a) Exhibits lavender flowers with small xe2x80x9ceyexe2x80x9d,
(b) Forms serrate, dark green foliage
(c) Exhibits a good basal branching character and
(d) Exhibits an upright mounded and trailing growth habit.
When the new cultivar of the present invention is compared to its male parent, xe2x80x98Temari Violetxe2x80x99, it is found that the new cultivar, is shorter, has longer internodes, larger leaves, larger inflorescences and different flower and calyx color. When compared to xe2x80x98Temari Patio Bluexe2x80x99, (unpatented), xe2x80x98Balazlavixe2x80x99 is more compact, has longer internodes, longer petioles, fewer flowers per inflorescence and different flower and calyx color as detailed in TABLE A.
When the new cultivar of the present invention is compared to xe2x80x98Balazdapixe2x80x99 (co-pending U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 09/808,204), the new cultivar is distinguished from xe2x80x98Balazdapixe2x80x99 primarily in petal coloration. When the new cultivar of the present invention is compared to xe2x80x98Balwilapixe2x80x99 (co-pending U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 09/822,611), the new cultivar is distinguished from xe2x80x98Balwilapixe2x80x99 primarily in petal coloration.